Two rag pickers fought over alcohol on the Outer Ring Road in northeastern Bengaluru on Sunday night. One of them died while undergoing treatment at Bowring Hospital on Monday.
The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained. A senior officer said the deceased was aged around 60 years.
The suspect has been identified as Kannan, 44. A native of Tamil Nadu, he has lived in Bengaluru for more than two decades, according to police.
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Kannan claims he doesn’t know his victim's name but both knew each other for the last few months.
They would collect scrap from Hennur and the surrounding areas and sell it to shops. They spent the money on liquor and food, and slept on the footpath.
On Sunday around 10.15 pm, Kannan asked the deceased for Rs 50 to buy liquor. The deceased who had Rs 80 declined. Kannan took a stone and hit him in the ear and the face. The deceased bled from the ear.
A hotel employee witnessed the incident and called the police. Police took the injured to the hospital in an ambulance. He died around 1.15 am on Monday.
Hennur police arrested Kannan based on a complaint from the hotel staff.